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106 days at sea: How a shark saved a man who had been drifting in the Pacific Ocean for 15 weeks
A Kiribati police officer has shared his amazing story after being treated for dehydration and exhaustion in Majuro, Marshall Islands.
He explained that two unusual events saved him: a tropical downpour that provided him with water and an unexpected encounter with a shark.
Remarkably, Toakai Teitoi had previously watched a film about four Kiribati men who disappeared at sea. Only two survived, and six weeks later they washed up on the shores of American Samoa.
Toakai, 41, and his brother-in-law, Ielu Falaile, 52, set out on a small motorboat, planning to return in two days. But fate decreed otherwise.
They were in the area of Maiana Atoll in the northern Gilbert Islands.
The men stopped to fish, then decided to rest for a while and fell asleep. When they woke up, they realized they had lost sight of Maiana and soon ran out of fuel.
“We had enough food and we could fish, but we had no water,” Toakai said
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They were thirsty, and after five weeks, Ielu died of dehydration. Toakai was left alone in the open ocean.
106 days in the ocean
The next day, a storm began, and heavy rains lasted for several days. Toakai collected two 19-liter canisters of water.
“I knew I had two options: either they would find me, or I would follow Ielu. I ran out of water. I had no control over anything,” he recalled.
The boat ended up far from fishing and transport routes. He prayed every morning, and after a few weeks, he spotted a fishing boat, but the crew did not notice him. However, Toakai continued to pray, eat raw fish, and drink water.
The events that followed were like those in a Hollywood movie. According to Toakai Teitoi:
“I was hiding from the sun under a piece of cloth on the bow of the boat. In my dream, I felt a strong blow and a sound like something was scratching the boat. When I woke up, I saw a huge shark, 6 feet long, circling around me and hitting the boat.”
Looking around, I noticed the stern of the ship and saw the crew looking at me through binoculars. I waved my hand frantically, and they saved me.
It is difficult to say why the shark behaved this way, but Toakai is convinced that it saved his life.
Shortly before leaving Majuro, Toakai said: “I am going home. I will never go out to sea in a boat again.”
If the shark hadn’t woken me up, the crew might have thought I was okay and swam past.
Do you think the shark really saved this man, or was it a lucky coincidence? Share your thoughts in the comments.
